Reading winger Paul Mukariu posted a very brief 'goodbye' message after his loan spell ended. The 24-year-old spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan from Danish giants FC Copenhagen and scored six goals in 38 matches in all competitions. Unable to truly stamp down a position out wide, regularly swapping with Caylan Vickers or Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, he left supporters often wanting to see more.
‘Cheerio, Cheerio, Cheerio’ rung out around the Madejski Stadium in December 2017 as Reading led Cardiff City 2-0 and pantomime villain boss, Neil Warnock, was sent to the stands for remonstrating with the officials one too many times. Traipsing down the tunnel 13 minutes early and looking set to be pulled back into the play off picture with defeat in Berkshire, little did Warnock know that he would walk away with a point following a dramatic turnaround and his Bluebirds team would go on to secure promotion to the Premier League. “I knew on that day that we were going to get promotion,” the veteran told the Reading Chronicle. “We had to come from behind and I can remember Lee Tomlin and the way we came back; I knew we would go up. It was always a battle.”
As with the end of every season, May proves a tricky month for players and managers alike as decisions are made on futures. So far, nine League One clubs have published their Released and Retained lists, with Reading yet to do so but expected to announce theirs in the next fortnight. Take a look below at all of those released so far and let us know in the comments if there are any you would like to see in Berkshire next season.
Reading youngster Adrian Akande has been nominated for Premier League 2 [PL2] Player of the Month after a prolific spell in front of goal. 20-year-old Akande has been in the Royals set-up since 2022, previously rising through the ranks with Swansea City and West Ham United. The Nigeria Under-17s international is yet to make his senior debut for the club but has been going from strength to strength in Noel Hunt's Under-21s team.
Snooker icons Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis are to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic 'Black Ball Final' at the Hexagon in January. The pair were huge stars in the 1980s as the UK went 'Snooker Loopy' for the sport, with Davis winning six world titles in the decade. Despite dominating the sport, it was a defeat for which he may be most famous, losing to Taylor in the 1985 final in front of a record-televised audience. 18.5m people stayed up beyond midnight to witness the end of the gripping final, finishing 18-17 in favour of the Northern Irish star.
The Berks and Bucks FA have confirmed that this year's Senior Cup final between Reading Under-21s and Marlow will take place in Sandhurst on May 15. Noel Hunt's Royals, aiming for double success as they continue to battle in the PL2 play-offs, are looking to dish out revenge on Marlow for last year's semi-final exit. Similarly, Marlow face a play-off final against Leatherhead on Sunday looking to earn promotion out of Isthmian League - South Central.
'Here we go, Super Luke Southwood in goal' went the chant as goalkeeper Southwood rose through the ranks in Reading before nailing down the number one shirt in 2021/22. Spending eight years under contract in Berkshire, the Northern Ireland international only managed 30 appearances in the blue and white hoops. Enjoying a successful season on loan with Cheltenham Town in 2022/23, featuring in every League One fixture, the 26-year-old joined them permanently last season.
After more than 20 years in the top two divisions of English football, many had expected Reading to need an acclimatisation period in the lower leagues. What followed was nine months of sheer heartbreak, ecstasy, agony and pride as the Royals overturned points deductions, and a 10-point deficit, to survive in League One. Take a look at part one here, reaching New Year's Day in an unforgettable campaign following the club, and continue below for the turbulent but ultimately more fun second part to the season.
The route that Reading will need to take in order to win PL2 has been mapped out as Middlesbrough visit the SCL Stadium on Saturday in the first knockout stage. Noel Hunt's Under-21s made a very successful start to life back in Category One and the PL2, finishing fifth in a 26-team league table.
